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About Us

Brief history

Cambridge Weight Plan can trace its roots back to the 1950s and 60s, when biochemist Dr Alan Howard, then working at the Dunn Nutrition Laboratory in Cambridge, developed an interest in weight loss and obesity.

 

During the 1970s, Dr Howard worked with Dr Ian McLean-Baird, of the West Middlesex Hospital, to develop what they regarded as the “perfect diet”. Supported by a lectureship from Downing College, Cambridge, and various grants, the pair set up a research project at the West Middlesex Hospital. Their aim was to create a formula food with excellent weight loss properties but no undesirable side effects. It needed to contain the right level of protein to protect lean tissue; the right level of carbohydrate to promote a mild ketosis and eliminate hunger, and the right level of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids to maintain good health.

 

Their formula succeeded in producing excellent weight loss results and further work by food technologists enhanced product flavours. The effectiveness and safety of this revised formula was tested in hospitals and with outpatients, and demonstrated remarkable weight loss, patient acceptability and patient safety. The formula then became available in obesity clinics in London and Cambridge and long-term safety was assessed and confirmed by further independent research in the UK, the USA and Europe. This led to the first commercial version of Cambridge Weight Plan, launched in the UK as The Cambridge Diet in 1984. Since then more than 30 million people from all over the world have used Cambridge Weight Plan.

Manufacturing

Our products are manufactured by Cambridge Weight Plan Ltd which is based in Corby, Northants, UK. Cambridge Weight Plan manufactures all sachets, bars and tubs in-house, whilst the Ready to Drink range are manufactured by third party partners in Europe.

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Cambridge Weight Plan has won awards in the food manufacturing, export trade and direct selling sectors. The Company has marketing, sales, logistics, purchasing, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution and technical functions all onsite. Also from Corby the Company manages its relationships with its international distributor network around the world.

 

Cambridge Weight Plan is proud to be a zero-landfill company. All the waste products generated at our site in Corby are either sent for recycling or used in energy from waste reprocessing. Cambridge Weight Plan Ltd is certified by Lloyd’s Register of Quality Assurance as meeting International Standards (ISO) in food Manufacturing.

Awards

  • 2017 - Cambridge Weight Plan is awarded with the Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials is a government-backed cyber security certification scheme that sets out a good baseline of cyber security suitable for all organisations in all sectors. The scheme addresses five key controls that, when implemented correctly, can prevent around 80% of cyber attacks.

 

  • 2017 - RoSPA Gold Award -  We achieved a very high level of performance, demonstrating well developed occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and very low levels of error, harm and loss.

 

  • 2016 - The Company is awarded with the Investors in People Silver accreditation – a sign of a great employer, an outperforming place to work and a clear commitment to sustainability.

 

  • 2016 - Proud recipients of the Royal Society for the Prevent of Accidents Gold award, the Company has been demonstrating exceptional occupational health and safety management systems.

 

  • 2015 - Cambridge Weight Plan Australia was awarded the coveted title of ‘Best Weight Management Program of the Year in 2015’ (People’s Choice Award) at the Global Weight Management Congress. Today, thousands of successful slimmers in Australia continue to lose weight with Cambridge Weight Plan under the guidance of a dedicated team of Consultants and is now acknowledged as the most successful weight management program in the world.

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  • 2015 - The Company was announced Business of the Year at the Corby Awards 2015

 

  • 2015 - The Company wins the Direct Selling Association (DSA) Excellence Award for the second time, beating off tough competition!

 

  • 2013 - A major highlight for Cambridge Weight Plan is winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

 

  • 2013 - Cambridge Weight Plan wins the Company with Heart award from the DSA

 

  • 2011 - The Company’s Managing Director, Eileen Skinner, is presented with the DSA Leadership Award

 

  • 2010 - The Company scoops the Direct Selling Association (DSA) Excellence Award

 

  • 2009 - The Company wins the Food Manufacturer Excellence Award: Ambient Foods (beating off strong opposition from Heinz, Premier Foods and KTC)

 

  • 1999 - The Company is granted Investor in People status (an accolade that it continues to retain)

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